Two more names were added in the Philippine Azkals’ squad that will face Kuwait a week from now for a tuneup game. Heard that Jarvey Gayoso of Kaya Iloilo FC and Julian Schwarzer of Kuching City FC in the Malaysian Super League were the latest to receive call-ups to join the Middle East camp, which also includes another friendly against the 84th-ranked Jordan in Doha, Qatar.
Early this week, the Azkals’ management announced an initial 23-man squad, led by Birmingham City FC goalkeeper and veteran Neil Etheridge. Joining him on the squad are Kevin Ray Hansen of Kuala Lumpur City, Amani Aguinaldo of Nakhon Ratchasima, Jesse Curran on loan to Chonburi, Michael Kempter of St. Gallen, John Lucero of Worthing FC, Carli De Murga and Christian Rontini of Kelantan FC, Jesper Nyholm of Muangthong United, Daisuke Sato of Persib Bandung, and Jefferson Tabinas of Mito HollyHock.
Midfielders Oliver Bias and Dennis Chung of the Azkals Development Team, Lloyd Ignacio of Lysekloster IL, Kevin Ingreso of Sri Pahang, Manny Ott of Kedah Darul Aman and Patrick Strauss of Hansa Rostock also were called up.
Rounding out the squad are forwards Mark Hartmann of Nakhon Si United, Bienvenido Marañon of Villarrubia CF, OJ Porteria of Kelantan United and Patrick Reichelt of Kuala Lumpur City.
Last Wednesday, fan favorite Sandro Reyes officially begged off from the team due to club commitments. In a message to the team, Reyes said there is nothing like playing for the national team but his club is currently fighting relegation in Germany’s Regionalliga Bayern.
“Unfortunately, these are the most important months for my new team, which means I can’t join the Azkals this window. I wish them luck and hope to be available for future camps,” Reyes said.
Reyes is playing for Greuther Fürth, which is currently in 16th place, or just above the relegation zone.
Reyes, who will turn just 20 this month, will surely have more chances to be with the Azkals in future competitions. And earning his spurs with Greuther Fürth will definitely help him improve his play and skills set so that when he will be called up for matches that really matter, he will be ready.
Here’s hoping that no more injuries or other reasons will prevent those, who were invited from playing for the sun and the three stars. But then again when it comes to the Azkals, nothing is certain, except perhaps more changes, until the whole team arrives in Kuwait on or before the 21st.
With the addition of Julian, the bond between the Schwarzers and Etheridge comes to a full circle.
Mark, Julian’s father, used to be a goalkeeper too. In fact, he won the Premier League with Leicester City FC. But what is more interesting is the fact that Mark had Etheridge under his wing as his understudy in Fulham FC. With Julian joining the squad, Etheridge will return the favor to the former ADT goalkeeper as one of his understudies.
In another interesting fact, both Etheridge and Julian had former Azkals goalie Roland Müller as their goalkeeping coach. Which in a way, is a continuation of the bond of several Azkals coming from different generations. This bond goes deeper than just playing football.
Which brings us to another little, but important matter when it comes to the Middle East camp. Who will coach the Azkals?
In a quick chat with Dan Palami, the Azkals’ Team Manager, he said that the incoming Azkals coach is highly regarded by almost everyone, especially by several football associations in the Middle East.
“He has been the mentor of a lot of coaches here in Asia, those who wanted to get their pro license and those who already have their pro license. He is also recommended by the Qatar Football Association, which in a way strengthens further the relationship between the Philippine Football Federation and QFA,” Palami said.
While he refused to name the coach, Palami gave a clue regarding his identity.
“Although he is not a Qatari, he is one of the highly-rated coaching instructors. He also has experience in running clubs and coaching clubs,” Palami added.
When asked about his tenure on the team, Palami had this to say: “Hopefully, maging effective siya. Magaling naman siya ayon sa aming mga sources. And they say he is up to the task.”
On to the lighter side, congratulations are in order for former Olympian Charly Suarez! Suarez scored a sensational 12th TKO win over erstwhile unbeaten Australian champion Paul Fleming in their International Boxing Organization title eliminator for the super featherweight crown.
Suarez was down by a mile in the scorecards, when he came up with the big punches to stun Fleming and the hostile home crowd in Sydney, Australia yesterday. In fact, Suarez was just seconds away from tasting his first defeat as a professional until he dropped Fleming with a left hook. Fleming somehow managed to rise up, after tasting the canvas, but further punishment from Suarez prompted the referee to end the showdown of unbeaten fighters in Mount Druitt with just 62 seconds left on the clock. Coming to the fight against his fellow Olympian, Fleming was unbeaten in 28 bouts.
Suarez’s win exemplified the never-say-die spirit of the Filipino athlete, showed how patience and calm, when everything seemed to be lost, can be the best weapons in the face of overwhelming odds, including the prospect of a hometown decision. It is not over until the final bell.
The win was Suarez’s 15th straight, with nine coming by knockouts. But more importantly, it gave the Private First Class of the Philippine Army a step closer to his dream of winning a world title.
Good job, Charly!
Please don’t forget to join us this Sunday, March 19, 2023 from 2 to 3 p.m. for your weekly fix of 3PTS–Pambansang Tambayan ng Sports aired live over at DZME 1530 khz.
Lastly, I would like to greet my good friend, former PNP Chief Nick Bartolome, a Happy Birthday! Cheers and enjoy your day, Pre!
Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!
For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat